Navy
Hegseth fires Navy secretary’s chief of staff
Stars and Stripes
October 5, 2025
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addresses senior military leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025 in Quantico, Va. (Andrew Harnik, Pool Photo via AP)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired chief of staff for the secretary of the Navy on Friday, according to media reports.
The Pentagon confirmed Jon Harrison’s departure in a statement to Politico, which first reported it.
“He will no longer serve as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of the Navy,” the DOD said in a statement to Politico. “We are grateful for his service to the Department.”
Harrison, who was appointed to the civilian role in January, had worked with Navy Secretary John Phelan to make changes to the Navy’s policy and budgeting offices.
Before being confirmed as the Navy’s chief of staff, Harrison was a principal shareholder and board member of engineering group Albers Aerospace and had served as a chairman of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, according to Florida Atlantic University, where he is a member of the Board of Trustees.
Harrison’s ouster follows the Senate confirmation of Hung Cao as the Navy’s undersecretary on Wednesday. Cao was confirmed as the service’s second-ranking civilian leader in a 52-45 vote.
As Navy undersecretary, Cao is expected to play a key role in the daily management of the Navy and Marine Corps and help the Navy address its persistent problems with building and repairing an aging ship fleet.
The Trump administration also has fired several senior military officers since returning to office. Some of the firings include Air Force Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the chief of naval operations; Adm. Linda Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard; and Air Force Gen. James Slife, the service’s vice chief of staff.